Batman Beyond: The Beginning
by Spartans300
Summary: It is forty years since Bruce Wayne quit as Batman. One day Terry McGinnis found out that Bruce was Batman, and donning a new improved costume he launched his own crusade against crime to avenge the death of his father. Now after more than year, he is about to face his greatest challenge. But he won't do it alone. An old friend from Bruce Wayne's day has returned.


Terry McGinnis crashed through several corridors of stone from Shriek's blast. They were in the old abandoned section of downtown. The buildings of the old Gotham City were falling apart around the neo-metropolis that was Gotham City. Now their battle was accelerating the process. His batsuit sparked with the amount of strain caused by their battle. Except that it wasn't just Shriek that Terry as Batman was fighting.

Five hours ago

The air hockey game was tied forty to forty. The Hamilton Hill Hawks were up against the Baxton Badgers. Terry couldn't help it. He cheered with the rest of the crowd. And his girlfriend, Dana. It was their third date for three days straight. He couldn't believe it.

_Crime must really want me to have a good time_ he thought. As Batman, Terry had always been roaming the streets at night fighting crime. Sometimes earlier. The old man, Bruce Wayne, had pushed him to his limit all of last week. Jokerz led by an escaped Terminal had terrorized Gotham for about two days, Mad Stan had tried to blow up another computer facility, a few spliced felons menaced the suburbs, busted another slapper operation, tracked down an arsonist, along with several typical crimes that finished the weekend. And now everything seemed quiet. At least until his smartphone rang.

He ignored it. He wanted to stay as long as he could with Dana. He wasn't going to leave her here. He already had done so many times though Max had been helping him a lot for covering him.

It rang again. He could feel it vibrate inside his chest pocket. His smile faded but his eyes kept watch on the game. He glanced at Dana who met his look. She heard the phone. She smiled sadly.

"Figures. He wouldn't let you hang out this long for this many days."

"Sorry," was all he could say before standing up and walking out of the stadium. He pulled out the phone, its ringtone now getting irritating.

"Yeah, what is it now?" His eyes widened with surprise as Bruce explained.

"Dang! I'm on my way!" He broke into a run toward the edge of the school boardwalk. Checking the coast was clear he jumped, falling several stories before landing into the cockpit of the Batmobile floating in midair, away from the traffic.

He immediately placed his ordinary clothes of Terry McGinnis in a compartment, and put on his dark persona of Batman before launching into the lanes of traffic in the growing night.

"So what's Blight doing here?" asked Terry over the radio.

"I haven't come up to any conclusions, yet," answered Bruce Wayne from the Batcave. "But from what I'm tracking on his movements he's in the Experimental and Design section of a Wayne-Powers building on the South East side of Gotham."

"Got it."

The batmobile shot through the hovering traffic lanes in the neo-metropolis, diving, turning, spinning, and curving around corners at his slightest touch. Terry had learned to drive it pretty quickly. He had to. He couldn't use the built-in jet packs of the Batsuit to carry him all over the city. He felt in tune with the vehicle. It was like a relationship someone had with his or her car except that Terry's could fly.

"Mind not doing that," Bruce Wayne's voice sternly came through the intercom after Terry had skimmed mere meters of a building.

Terry grinned through the mask. "Just seeing if you're still watching."

"I'm always watching." Still growling.

"Right. Of course you are," the smile disappeared along with the sarcasm.

Batman watched the GPS as he neared the building where a large radiation signature was emanating from the something hundredth floor.

"Remember McGinnis…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't get close to him. He's super hot."

"…"

Taking that as his cue, Batman stopped the car, opened the top hatch and flew over to a ledge on the side of the building. Once there he rotated the center disc on his belt and immediately his costume blended in to the wall behind him. Making his way to the window, he peered inside.

"McGinnis, what do you see?"

"Not big, green, and ugly. Which is surprising."

"Go inside."

He opened the glass window quietly and stepped inside, still cloaked. There were machines, conveyor belts, desks, and equipment in the room. Plasma torches, wrenches, bars, and other tools were hung on boards on the walls. Robotic arms were motionless right next to the empty conveyor belts. The large machines were shut off.

"Looks like some kind of factory. My guess for prototypes that Powers was trying to build."

"My guess exactly," came Wayne's voice over the radio.

"So, where is he?"

"Your suit has a built in radiation receiver. Follow the trail."

Terry switched his suit to target radiation spots. The lenses went from red to blue and immediately started to follow the heat trail that was in green. The trail moved through the factory but very soon it started to fade.

"The trail's getting cold. If he was here he isn't now."

"Make your way back."

Terry switched to regular vision and turned the cloaking device off. Just as he was halfway back, the floor started to vibrate, and then tremble before exploding in an intense roar. He immediately made a run for it as the opening floor followed him to the window. He was about to crash through when an invisible force caught up to him and launched him through the window, taking his breath away.

"McGinnis!"

Five hours before.

A phone rang. That was weird. There were no phones in Gotham.

Inque heard it again. It came from the computer on the desk on the other side of the room. She turned under the covers, blinked, still sleepy eyed. The computer rang again.

_What's wrong with these people?_ she thought. The occupants of the apartment were out and they didn't have anything really useful. She'd been keeping a low profile ever since her last fight with Batman at her daughter's apartment. _Her daughter_. She had betrayed her. Gave a mutagen spiked with solvent. She had taken weeks to recover and now it was still a strain to retain her human form.

The computer lit up and came alive. Inque instinctively pulled the covers up to her chin. _Fool_.

Good Morning Inque.

She gasped, rolled out of the bed. She looked back.

I see you.

She immediately dissolved and hid under the bed. Was it Batman? Had he been watching her? Following her? She peeked under the sheet and saw more words on the screen.

You're under the bed. Cute. Don't worry. I'm not Batman.

Slowly, she slithered out from the bed and onto the chair now more curious than afraid. She typed.

Who are you?

Your new employer.

If she had a face, she would've smiled.

What do you want done?

Something that both of us want if you're interested.

She mentally frowned, confused. Who was this guy? More words appeared.

1137 G Sky Central

3:00 p.m.

Sky Central. That was in downtown Gotham. Near the Wayne-Powers building. She liquidated herself, seeped through the window, and went out into the bustling city.

Two hours ago.

Batman landed on the boardwalk fourteen levels below the window. Hard. His ears still rang from the loud screech that had hit him. Shriek was here. How did he know that he was coming? Was he working for Powers? He tried to push the questions from his mind as he focused.

"McGinnis!"

Bruce Wayne's voice sounded far away. Muffled. Batman got to his knees before a blast of heat hit him in the side and he flew for several more feet, hitting the edge of the boardwalk. He looked up.

Three Blights walked toward him, their hands together, creating another radiation ball. Their lips seemed to be moving but he couldn't hear a word. His ears was still ringing. _Wait. Three Blights?_

He dodged the ball, a large explosion where his body was laying just seconds before. Now there was just one Blight and the sounds of the city came back to him.

"…urse you. Stay still!"

"You know I would've thought that the water could've cooled your hot head," commented Batman, dodging another blast.

"It cooled me enough to plan for this moment. You don't know how long I've been waiting for this. I'm actually surprised that no one else thought of it earlier."

Batman reached into his built in utility belt, drew a bola and threw it, pinning Blight's arms to his sides, and then launched several ice capsules on him.

"Thought of what?"

A loud screech came from his right and he turned to see Shriek aiming one of his arm sound generators at him. A force like the one in the building struck him in full, making him fly to the other side of the boardwalk.

He groaned in pain. Blight and Shriek approached him, one generating radiation from his now freed and clenched fists, the other concentrated sound in his.

"You've been nothing but a thorn in our sides, Batman. Time for you to die."

"Cant' say that I don't feel the same way on the first part." Batman popped open a pocket on his belt and five smoke pellets rolled into his palm. He launched them at the duo, shadowing his escape before activating his rocket boots up the building behind him.

"Any suggestions, old man?"

"Keep your distance."

"Done."

"Observe. Try and look for any signs of weakness."

"Kinda hard to do that when both are extremely powerful."

"Look for ineffectiveness in their team. Communication. Villains don't normally keep together for very long before fighting each other."

"Yeah, don't know about that. Both are pretty determi-augh!"

A slimy, dark blob attached itself to Batman as he flew over the roof. Dark tendrils wrapped themselves around him, pinning his arms, squeezing every limb, covering his head. Lips suddenly pressed against his and a low moan escaped from the blob. Then the shape of Inque's face appeared in front of him.

"This costume has always been in the way. Why don't we get rid of it?"

He was at first shocked by her profoundness but then noticed where they were heading.

"My pleasure. I think I see a spot where we do it quietly."

"Huh?" She bent her head backwards. They were heading to the Historic District. Batman then activated his suit's electrical discharges and shocked Inque. She screamed as Batman at first held her, and then let her go, her liquid body crashing into a building.

"There. That's one. Can't believe that Inque was with them too."

"Believe it. Where are the others?"

"Hold on."

He turned around to see a roofless car heading straight for him.

"Oh, crap."

Another shock wave struck him and he crashed into the building as well.

Six hours before.

1137 G. It was the main Wayne-Powers building in its enterprise. What was used to be Wayne Tower, it had grown to be a powerhouse of the future. Though it was arguably the oldest building in Gotham its technology was still considered state of the art.

Inque had no trouble sneaking inside. She had done it before when meeting the former Derek Powers to conduct business. Her body molded to fit every crevice, tunnel, and ventilation shaft that the staff wouldn't even care to look. If she wandered in a populated area she kept to the shadows.

Whoever her employer was, he guided her through, opening doors, flashing lights, shutting or moving cameras. If she remembered the schematics of the building correctly, she was nearing the loading garages that was in the basement.

She found an empty garage except for a lone transport. The lights of the transport suddenly came on, illuminating and blinding her. Just as quickly as they came on they were turned off and the unlocked lights clicked.

Cautiously, she walked to the side of the transport. The door opened and a green glow shone out of the interior and out walked a person in a HAZMAT suit. He was tall and very fit with outlines of muscle on the suit. A visor covered his face but the green glow didn't come from him. Inque was starting to get an idea on who her employer was.

"He's inside."

Inque stepped in and her eyes widened, her presumption correct. There standing imposing with his hands behind his back, a shredded black garb covering most of his translucent chest, and pants on his legs that showed the bones was her former employer, Derek Powers, now known as Blight. His skull grinned at the sight of her and he motioned to the person in the HAZMAT. The door closed on its own and they were alone together.

"Hello, Inque."

"Powers."

"That name no longer has any meaning for me. Blight will do now."

"It was you who hacked into the computer and guided me here."

"Technically, no. That was my new friend outside. He has a special relationship with that sort of technology."

Inque paused, contemplating this.

"You're a bit surprised to see me?"

"No. You didn't die in that submarine by Batman."

"Yes," he growled the glow now growing. "Batman. Which is precisely the reason why I called for you. I seem to remember giving you an assignment to kill him."

Inque swallowed. He had given her that assignment over a year ago. And she had failed. Three times. Her eyes started to look for a way to escape but the whole transport seemed to be wired. Blight watched her and smirked.

"Don't worry, my dear, there's no chance for you to escape. But I don't want you to. That offer is still available. I still have the money set. However, I plan on you working with me this time. Along with another associate of mine."

"Who?"

"Well, he should be coming in a moment. He just had to adjust his suit to withstand my…condition. Ah, he's here."

The door opened and in walked a man in a white, bulky suit of armor. Blue discs were on his hands, face, and chest, and a fearsome helmet covered his face.

"Inque, I'd like you to meet Shriek, a former employee of mine, one who also was assigned to kill one of my enemies."

Shriek looked over Inque and then turned to Blight. "When do we start, Blight?"

Blight smiled. "Tonight."

One hour ago.

"Terry! Come in, Terry! McGinnis!"

"ugh."

"Terry, that building is unstable. You need to get out of there!" Bruce Wayne's voice shouted in his ear.

"Give me a second to get rid of these stars," Terry answered weakly.

"You don't have a second," Wayne answered sternly. "The building is going to fall."

Batman felt the ground tremble and crack under his weight. He shook his head, clearing the flashing lights that swirled his vision before running toward the nearest exit. He barely made it before the floor caved in. Soon the ceiling above him started to crack and collapse. Switching to Detective Mode on his mask, Batman turned the corner and headed straight for the window. Suddenly, a tendril snaked out and grabbed his arm, another his other arm, and two more wrapped around his chest.

"You weren't leaving just yet, were you?"

"Inque, this building is going to collapse." Batman tried to move forward but the saboteur still restrained him in a tight grip.

"I can survive it. But can you?"

She started to pull Batman toward her, her tentacles wrapping more so around him, tightening. He could almost feel the suit starting to spark under the strain she was making on it. He looked at the ceiling and got an idea.

Moving his arms above his head, he clenched his fist and several crimson discs shot at the already weakened ceiling above him. Just as he had hoped pieces of the roof fell, some of them landing on Inque's outstretched tentacles, loosening her grip on him. Without a second thought he activated his rocket boots and flew toward the window.

Right into another radiation blast from Blight. Crashing into the next street over, Batman laid there for a second.

"Terry, you need to get up now!"

"Can't a guy take a nap every once and a while?" he replied weakly.

"This is no laughing matter, McGinnis. Blight and Shriek could be coming around the corner any second."

"Fine."

He reached down to the central disk on his belt and turned it, cloaking himself again as he regained his stance and slipped into a relatively empty alley. Through it he could hear the voices of Blight and Shriek but couldn't make out what they were saying. Lifting his index and middle fingers up, he activated the long-range microphones to listen.

"Track him, Shriek! He must not escape," Blight roared, the radiation pulsing from his body greater than before.

"I told you, my suit can track certain sounds at a certain distance," Shriek explained. "At this point the sounds of his footsteps could mingle with those of other people here. I couldn't know for sure if it was Batman or not."

Blight glowered for a minute before smiling again. His hand then reached up to the radiation resistant earpiece.

"Inque, you there?"

"I'm here." She appeared in front of them oozing over the ground, and then rising upright to face them. "Your toy, however, didn't make it."

She dropped the destroyed earpiece she was also carrying to the ground. Blight stared at it again before looking back at the duo.

"Fine. We'll split up. Inque, take to the roofs. Shriek, you'll take this side of the street, and I'll take the other. If you see Batman, kill him. But try to make as much of a commotion as possible. The more we work together the better chance for us to defeat him." They turned to leave but then Blight added over his shoulder, "Oh, if you see any bystanders, kill them as well. That will draw the Bat's attention."

Terry's brow furrowed under the mask. His oldest and most powerful foes were up against him on the same team. The thing is he couldn't understand why. How on earth could three super villains cooperate to hunt him down? What was their connection other than that he had beaten them? Blight who was once known as Derek Powers, was head of the multi-billion credit industry of Wayne-Powers. So he had the means and quite obviously the motivation to hire Inque. Shriek, who is also known as Walter Shreeve, was head of the company Shreeve Sound Laboratory Gotham City. After running it into bankruptcy, Shreeve was hired by Powers. So there it was. Powers had gathered them due to their former service under him and their assignments being thwarted by Batman.

He pressed the speaker on his cowl.

"Did you catch all of that?" he whispered.

"Kzzzzzz suit's having tro-kzzz picking up signals and visu-kzzzzzz," came Bruce's reply through static. "I'll try a different frequency. Looks like you're on your own."

"Wonderful," Batman muttered sarcastically and turned off the radio. He then slipped into the apartment complex behind him about as decrepit as the surrounding neighborhood. Hiding the shadows, he watched Shriek starting his way. An idea came into his head, and he took out a small box and some plastic explosives.

Shriek made his way up the stairs to the front door of the apartment building. His suit picked up Blight kicking his way into a convenience store across the street. It wasn't just Shriek getting more and more frustrated by how Batman managed to stay alive despite their ambush. Blight's temper was starting to kick the radiation he was emitting even higher. Now he had to adjust the suit to compensate for the increasing heat, unable to use some of his functions.

"I'll be glad when this is finally over," he said to himself. "In more ways than one."

Glass shattered inside.

He kicked the apartment door open, cracking the rusty hinges, wood, and plaster. He walked inside, the helmet now switching to night vision. The hallway was long and narrow, with a moth eaten rug on the weakened floor. Several openings led to the guest services, lavatories, rooms, and stairways.

He lifted his hands to his faceplate and adjusted the sound receiver. Nothing. No footsteps.

He was about to leave when the suit picked up the sound of something shattering again in a room a few doors down. He immediately ran to the door, raised his arms, and unleashed a sonic blast, splintering the wood of the door and walls to find…nothing. Nothing but a small box on a desk. He approached it and picked it up in his claws. His eyes narrowed underneath the helmet. A recording. He was about to destroy it when a small beep sounded underneath him. He looked down just in time for the floor to give way beneath him in an explosion and fell down.

Batman stood in the basement, flash bangs ready in one hand. Shriek fell into the trap just how he planned. What he didn't plan on was the basement floor also giving away to reveal another room below. With no time to lose, Batman rushed to the opening and tossed the flash bangs after Shriek. He heard him give a yell in pain as the noise overloaded his suit's hearing aid. Batman soon followed, landed in front of him, giving a left hook, then a right. He then delivered a kick into his stomach, launching him into the wall.

Batman watched as his body collapsed.

"What's the matter, Shriek? Music a bit too loud for ya?" He flicked his wrist as he approached him and an electrical batarang popped out.

"I can say the same to you, Batman," Shriek answered weakly and lifted his arms as he delivered a sonic attack from both his arms and his chest. Batman grunted, his body crashing into the several stonewalls, the batarang flying toward his enemy.

"Nooooooooooooooo!"

Terry opened his eyes, blinking slowly. How long he had been blacked out, he didn't know. He started to rise but couldn't move his arms. Something pressed against his whole body, his breathing was slow and shallow. He blinked more rapidly now, the memories now coming back. He throwing the flash bangs, pummeling Shriek, Shriek blasting him with his sonic emitters.

He groaned. He started to move his left arm. It felt free so he pressed it against the left side of his head on the radio receiver.

"Still static," he determined. His vision was starting to improve and he could see and feel stone blocks piled on him. Trying as hard as he could, he started to wiggle his arm back toward him. He heard the rocks crumbling under the pressure. Once he brought his arm toward him, Batman began to push on the slab that covered his body. Despite the strength enhancers on the suit, Batman's muscles still fired under the strain. He stopped for a minute to catch his breath before lifting again and this time the slab moved.

Batman kept pushing and pushing under the stone until it finally rolled out of the wall on his side. He took big gulps of fresh air now filling his lungs. He laid there for another minute before sitting up and moving the rest of the rubble from his legs, freeing them. He tried to stand but the effort put more fire into his muscles.

Gnashing his teeth and groaning, he stood up, unsteadily at first, but he soon got his balance. Then he got a good look around him and gasped.

"Whoa."


End file.
